Rassie Erasmus Credits Hard Work Behind Scenes for Boks' Discipline in 66-7 Italy Win
- The Springboks conceded just five penalties during their 66-7 Nations Championship victory over Italy in Turin on 7 November 2026
- Rassie Erasmus revealed the team has been working closely with Jaco Peyper to stay on the right side of referees and within World Rugby laws
- Italy upped their game significantly in the second half, which Erasmus said influenced the penalty count late in the match
PAY ATTENTION: Mark Briefly News as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has shed light on the disciplinary work happening behind the scenes after his side held their penalty count to just five during a dominant 66-7 Nations Championship victory over Italy at Allianz Stadium on 7 November 2026.
Italy, by contrast, conceded 10 penalties and also played 10 minutes with 14 men after Muhamed Hasa received a yellow card for a cynical foul.
Boks working closely with Jaco Peyper
Erasmus attributed South Africa's composure at the breakdown and around the contact area to deliberate, structured preparation with the team's referee liaison.
"We're really trying hard to be within World Rugby's laws when it comes to tackle level changes and all the things that they focused on in the World Rugby meetings," Erasmus said.
He singled out avoidable penalties as the ones that hurt coaches most, noting there were few of those against his side.
PAY ATTENTION: You can now search for all your favourite news and topics on Briefly News.
"Those are the ones that hurt and frustrate us as coaches, and I don't think there were many of those that were avoidable," he added.
Erasmus said working alongside Jaco Peyper had been central to the improvement.
"We're working really strongly on that with Jaco Peyper and the whole team, so yes, I'm pretty satisfied," he said.
Italy's Second-Half Fight Tested Springbok Resolve
The Springboks were dominant in the opening half, with Erasmus crediting their aerial control over Italy's contestable kicks as a key factor. Things shifted after the break, with Italy keeping the ball in hand more frequently, which placed greater pressure on the South African defensive structure.
Erasmus was clear the change in momentum was not a case of his side easing off.
"It's more a case of Italy upping their game in the second half," he said.
He also acknowledged that Italy presented a consistent challenge at scrum time.
"They scrum well in general, and they were excellent in the scrums again in this Test match," Erasmus said.
Despite the second-half pressure, South Africa conceded only seven points after the interval, a result Erasmus described as satisfactory given the circumstances. The coaching staff view low penalty counts as directly linked to building scoreboard pressure and keeping opponents away from their own 22-metre area.
Springboks fan's emotional anthem moment
Briefly News previously reported that a young South African fan was captured wiping away tears during Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika before the Springboks' clash against Italy in Turin
His mother, Agostinella Ribero, shared the footage and explained why hearing Siya Kolisi sing the national anthem made the moment so emotional
PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!
Source: Briefly News
